Hyperlipidemia involves abnormally elevated levels of any or all lipids and/or lipoproteins in the blood. Hyperlipidemias may be classified according to which types of lipids are elevated, that is hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia or both in combined hyperlipidemia. Triglycerides are known as one of the independent risk factors of atherosclerosis. Although the relevancy between hypertriglyceridemia and cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis is not still clear, it has been known that hypertriglyceridemia increases the risk of atherosclerosis (Cullen P. Evidence that triglycerides are an independent coronary heart disease risk factor. Am J Cardiol 2000; 86:943-9; Le N A, Walter M F. The role of hypertriglyceridemia in atherosclerosis. Curr Atheroscler Rep 2007; 9:110-5; Stalenhoef A F, de Graaf J. Association of fasting and nonfasting serum triglycerides with cardiovascular disease and the role of remnant-like lipoproteins and small dense LDL. Curr Opin Lipidol 2008; 19:355-61). And also, it has been reported that pancreatitis occurs in people whose triglyceride levels are above 1000 mg/dl or 12 mmol/l.
Meanwhile, the compound of the following formula 1, whose chemical name is (4S,5R)-5-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-3-({2-[4-fluoro-2-methoxy-5-(propan-2-yl)phenyl]-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl}methyl)-4-methyl-1,3-oxazolidin-2-one, has a selective cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibiting activity. The compound is being developed as a drug for preventing or treating atherosclerosis (International Patent Publication No. WO 2006/014357).
